I'd say find a better dog park or talk to some of the other owners to set up play dates. I've never seen any fights at the dog park we go to. Though Keira seems more like the pup mentioned before me, she doesn't play a bunch with other dogs but she needs to become more socialized... Best of luck.

My friends have small dogs who bite my dog and she just ignores it.. They are not socialized I guess but can't harm either I guess my dog is just not a fighter, not that I want her to be I was just curious...

These little pests might not injure her but they are doing a lot of damage to her emotionally. And your friend can also use some help with her dogs.
So on top of her bad dog park experiences you also allow this?!!
Give us an update two years from now. I am almost sure you will have huge problems in lunging and barking at other dogs if not attacking them while off leash when she is bigger.
You sound very irresponsible or you still don't get the seriousness of this situation. You came to look for advice and then you get upset when it is not hat you want to hear.
I feel very sorry for your dog whose owner doesn't protect her. Please take a step back and look at your situation, thentake the advice form the experienced ones on the forum.

After reading everyone's post and advice, the first question that popped in my head is...does your dog get exercise/fun in other ways than a dog park? Meaning, does Arexa get long walks, go swimming, go hiking, do classes, etc?

I'll admit I'm not a fan of dog parks but I do allow my 10 month old GSD to wear herself out with her dog friends. It is nice to have her frolick with her dog friends but it is not the only way that she is allowed to have fun. I don't rely on the dog park as the only source of her exercise/fun. If I have to take the dog park out of her activities, we have plenty of other things to do.

Not all dogs need or should go to a dog park nor is it NECCESSARY to go to a dog park. When I had my aggressive lab, we did not go to a dog park we did a lot of hiking and a lot of dock diving.

I think the subject of the post makes people think you want her to fight back. It's a bit misleading.

My two cents.

...and now I'm waiting for someone to jump all over me over my post hehe.

Yes we play and we take walks for exercise and she plays with neighbors dog. Do I want her to fight back? No,I want her to defend herself if she is in danger I know it sounds confusing... What if something happens and im not there? she is not the only dog I have seen that doesn't fight back, there atre other young dogs that also don't defend themselves they do same thing Arexa does except some of then actually lay on the ground being submissive which is sad. The older dogs dont act like that.. i think maybe I need to talk to a professional.I don't know dog behavior she is my first GSD and I am just surprised that she doesn't do anything to stand up for herself except for running away... The guy told him his two GSDs were like that at forst I wonder if other GSD's were like that that's why I asked the question.

I can understand wanting to go to the dog park... Where I live is so densely packed and crowded with people and I do not have the luxury of big open spaces to let my dog run off leash or just to simply be somewhere where there aren't other people and dogs like a lot of people on this forum. The only place like that I can take them to is a two hour drive each way and I can't go there year round.

I do take my pup to the dog park BUT the only park I take him too is a locals only one, same people there everyday... I know a lot of the people there and their dogs. Even with that I am on his butt the whole time we're there, I follow him everywhere and never take my eyes off him... I do not let other dogs harass him and I do not let him annoy other dogs with his puppy antics. If there's any funny business even if it doesn't involve my dog, I leave.

But like the above poster said, I don't rely on that for his exercise... We do walks, hikes, go to the beach, training and lots of other things. And for me the dog park is only a temporary thing, I don't plan on taking him anymore when he's an adult. In my book, not fighting back is a good thing.

Yes we play and we take walks for exercise and she plays with neighbors dog. Do I want her to fight back? No,I want her to defend herself if she is in danger I know it sounds confusing... What if something happens and im not there? she is not the only dog I have seen that doesn't fight back, there atre other young dogs that also don't defend themselves they do same thing Arexa does except some of then actually lay on the ground being submissive which is sad. The older dogs dont act like that.. i think maybe I need to talk to a professional.I don't know dog behavior she is my first GSD and I am just surprised that she doesn't do anything to stand up for herself except for running away... The guy told him his two GSDs were like that at forst I wonder if other GSD's were like that that's why I asked the question.

I'm not understanding what you don't understand. You don't want your dog to fight back. You should be there to get her out of trouble at the first sight of it. There is no way that you can get her out of trouble if both dogs are going at it...at that point you might as well count on either a dead dog or lots of medical bills. Your dog is being smart and going the other way...she is making the right choice. Why do I get the feeling that you are embarrassed because you feel your dog is a wimp? Your dog is making the right choices for the situations she's in, don't keep pushing her, because you will have a mess. It doesn't matter if she is a GSD or a poodle, you want a dog that isn't dog aggressive or dog reactive. A professional is not going to help you teach your dog how to fight. A professional might help you figure out that your dog does not belong in any situation where she has to protect herself EVER.

Ok, so that makes sense to me -- defending herself if she is in danger. Just a heads up that is a pretty loaded line when stating that on GSD board and here is why without trying to seem like everyone is jumping down your throat.

Since you are there to witness her non-defensive behavior during dog park play...have you considered that she views you as her leader of the pack? She relies on you to come to defend her and protect her. You'll notice that when a dog goes down there are times they try to quickly look towards you (at least I know my dog does).

Your next line is going to get you heat -- what if something happens and im not here. If your referring to her being at the dog park and your not there...there is just a lot of q's that I would have to ask right there. I assume you mean when she is alone while you are at work type of situation, right?

Just like humans who don't opt to fight back, there are dogs who also don't opt to fight back. Not all dogs will fight back. Tempraments vary, just like humans. I don't think I consider a dog who opts to not fight back a sad thing. My dog Ava doesn't fight back but I also don't allow her to get harassed her for her to harrass another dog.

A dog professional/trainer/behaviorist is a great thing to consider!

I think I understand what you want. It is what I want in my dog. You want a confident dog and hopefully not a dog that immediately goes on the offensive if another dog gives her the stink eye. That is something that takes time and requires a committment on your end to help her get that confidence.

Another heads up...alot of the board members here all want the best for their dogs and other dogs, particularly GSD's. Everyone here has some great opinions and experience and generally is supportive. Just always think what YOU can do better before thinking everyone here is maliciously trying to rip you apart. Playing defense is not always the way!

Quote:

Originally Posted by julie87

Yes we play and we take walks for exercise and she plays with neighbors dog. Do I want her to fight back? No,I want her to defend herself if she is in danger I know it sounds confusing... What if something happens and im not there? she is not the only dog I have seen that doesn't fight back, there atre other young dogs that also don't defend themselves they do same thing Arexa does except some of then actually lay on the ground being submissive which is sad. The older dogs dont act like that.. i think maybe I need to talk to a professional.I don't know dog behavior she is my first GSD and I am just surprised that she doesn't do anything to stand up for herself except for running away... The guy told him his two GSDs were like that at forst I wonder if other GSD's were like that that's why I asked the question.

AJT exactly. I'm just trying to explain how it is you can call it defense doesn't matter, anyways.. I want her to be confident and I hate seeing her being bullied. other dog owners dont like me at the dog park because I follow her around and separate even a small growl they think that their dogs just"playing".. well i am not going to stand there and see if its going to turn into more than "playing" last time was not pleasant at all the dude's dogs were annoying mine and I asked him to take them away and he left the park. Wish they could just get along so everyone can enjoy their time.

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